Ukraine declares Hungary’s consul persona non grata

Consul of Hungary based in the town of Berehove, the Zakarpattia region, has been declared persona non grata.

“Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine Erno Keskeny has been handed a note saying that the Hungarian consul in the town of Berehove in the Zakarpattia region was declared persona non grata pursuant to Article 23 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and in connection with the activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer and that he must leave Ukraine within 72 hours,” the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry expects the Hungarian side to refrain from any unfriendly steps towards Ukraine in the future and hopes its officials will not violate Ukrainian legislation.

“We regard Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian descent as a unifying factor in the relations between the two states and call on our Hungarian partners to share this view,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry underscores.

Ukrainian media earlier reported about the issuance of Hungarian passports to Ukrainian citizens at the Hungarian consulate in the town of Berehove in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region. A video was posted showing Ukrainians getting Hungarian passports and taking an oath calling Hungary their homeland.

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin said that the Hungarian Consul, who handed over Hungarian passports to Ukrainians, will not stay in Ukraine. In response, Budapest threatened to take further steps to slow down Ukraine’s integration into the EU.